Skarv Shipping Solutions (Skarv), a joint venture between Peak Group and Grieg Edge, has signed a contract with Huanghai Shipbuilding for four 7,000 dwt, low-carbon, multipurpose vessels, with an option for four more.
The contract agreed is for four ships, with an option for another two plus two ships. The first vessel will be delivered in the third quarter of 2025, with the others in four-month intervals.
LMG Marin has designed the ships based on the core competence of Peak Group and Grieg Edge, with vital contribution from Grieg Shipbrokers.
The vessels have the following details: 108.2m loa, 18.1m beam, 7,000 tons deadweight, 6,650 tons cargo loading capacity, 6.5m summer draft, 10,120 m3 hold volume, 65.25 X 13.80 X 10.30m hold size and 1,600 m2 cargo area (open deck).
The design includes an optimised engine ready for ammonia or methanol, batteries, a shore-power system, peak shaving with a dynamic propeller drive system, and a high-voltage switchboard prepared for future green power production like fuel cell technologies and increased battery capacity.
“These ships are far more climate-friendly than what we see in the short-sea market in Europe today, with a very low fuel consumption. They are not what we imagine is the final climate solution for shipping, but they are a giant step in the right direction,” says the CEO of Skarv, Jan Øivind Svardal.
On the cargo handling side, the ships will have open-top functionality enabling the movement of high vertical cargo, a wide deck beam for extra cargo intake, heavy-duty hatches, and tweendecks. The ships also have the accommodation in front to ensure visibility, increased deck space and protection of cargo.
A high focus on deck space, in combination with strength and good stability, makes the ships ideal for the transport of mid-size modules and wind turbine components and, as such, a massive support for the renewable energy industry in Europe. Still, they have flexibility that makes them suitable for almost all kinds of short-sea project cargo transport. Skarv has yet to dedicate the vessels to any customer but will make them available in the market.
“There is considerable demand for reduced carbon emissions related to industry projects in Europe, and these ships will be ideal for many of these. The ships’ flexible design enables a potential transition to lower emission fuels upon delivery, provided that the market and infrastructure permit, even though they are not fully capable of zero emissions at present,” Nicolai Grieg, Managing Director of Grieg Edge, says.